LS polls: Moderate to high turnout in eastern states

Patna/Ranchi/Bhubaneswar/Port Blair: Moderate to high turnout was today recorded in first four hours of voting in Lok Sabha polls in Bihar, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and 70 Assembly constituencies in Odisha.

While a high 30 per cent polling was registered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, between 15 and 20 per cent was recorded in Odisha, 15 per cent in Bihar and 14 per cent in Jharkhand. Elections in Naxal-hit states began on a violent note.

In Bihar, two CRPF personnel were killed and seven injured when Maoists detonated a landmine, targeting two jeeps near Sawa Lakh Baba Mandir at the entrance of Bhimbandh jungle in Jamui Parliamentary constituency in Munger district at 5:30 AM, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Khargpur, Ranjan Kumar told PTI.

The CRPF personnel killed in the blast were identified as head constable Ravindra Rai and constable Sone Gora, Kumar said. The seven injured were admitted to the Bhagalpur hospital, he said.

In Gaya, the police seized and defused six can bombs weighing 30 kg each from Banke Bazar area under Imamganj Assembly segment, which is part of Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat, Gaya senior superintendent of police Nishant Tiwari said.

In Jharkhand, Maoists exploded a series of landmines in the forests of Latehar district and exchanged gunfire with security personnel before polling began in the Chatra Lok Sabha seat, but there was no casualty, Latehar Superintendent of Police Michael S Raj told PTI.

In Odisha, suspected Maoists pulled out polling personnel from a vehicle in Mathili area in Malkangiri and burnt four EVMs meant for four booths late last night, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Akhileswar Singh said.

PTI